CEOs pledge to stop workplace stigma

Leaders of dozens of corporations are responding to an initiative from NAMI Massachusetts called CEOs Against Stigma. The statewide campaign aims to create healthier workplaces.

What let up to the project was the NAMI chapter’s survey of 800 residents, the vast majority of which said mental illness was a serious issue. However only 27 percent said they would advise someone with mental illness to tell their co-workers about it.

Funded through a grant from the Massachusetts Attorney General’s office, CEOs Against Stigma includes a signed pledge that recognizes that ending stigma requires top-down leadership to change misconceptions about mental illness. The campaign is open to all Massachusetts companies with at least 50 employees, and dozens have signed on, including Jim Roosevelt, CEO of Tufts Health Plan.

“Mental illness is the single greatest distraction in the workplace, largely because people affected by mental illness fear the stigma associated with sharing and seeking help. At Tufts Health Plan, eliminating the stigma starts today,” Roosevelt said in a press release.